Blackbird
by PikachutheFreak
Summary: The SR-71 was decommissioned and retired from service in 1999. It's impact, completely unforgettable and looks, sleek and stealthy. But when an speedy unknown object is seen, the Blackbird is called upon to handle this unpredictable and new threat. She isn't ready to handle combat, but she and her pilot get more than they bargained for, far more than they will ever realize
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

I sat in my room, staring at the single poster on my ceiling. The legendary SR-71 in her absolute glory, sixty tons of sleek, high speed, stealth aircraft designed to out speed any missile or aircraft of her day. Mach 3.3 was something that no fixed-wing aircraft had ever achieved. I was interrupted in my thought by a thunderclap that shattered my window. I got up with a start, listening to the resounding echo. I peered out of the new opening that my window had uncovered, looking into the sky. I saw an amazing shockwave, brilliantly multi-colored. I found my mouth agape and closed it immediately out of embarrassment. However, as I looked more carefully, I could see a figure speeding off into the distance, a rainbow trail lighting up its flight path.

I gazed at it, wanting to see it in closer detail. I would have to wait until tomorrow, when I could get ahold of the SR-71 my Grandfather had in his hangar just six miles from here. It wouldn't be easy to just steal it, I would have to get it fueled and flight ready. I began packing my bag and preparing a pre-flight checklist.

X-X-X

I grinned, letting the wind whip across my silly smile. This reconnaissance mission Twilight had given me was so awesome! She had told me not to go above 60,000 feet, I apparently, would freeze and pass out. It was a simple first mission, just get good pictures of the Southeastern United States. The Sonic Rainboom I had created reached the ground and had started setting off countless alarms and breaking thousands of windows. I just smirked, watching the lights twinkle on as my shockwave reached the ground.

"Rainbow Dash," I heard a nerdy voice in my earpiece, "It's time to head back to base, don't want the humans to realize where and what we are too quickly,"

"What's the big deal?" I responded, annoyed at her motherly tone, "It's not like they can** catch** me Twilight..."

"That's what I'm worried about," she warned, "I can feel a human, he wants to catch you, and I think he can, given the right tools..."

"He doesn't have those does he Twilight?" I laughed at the thought that a human could catch me so easily, "Right? Twilight..." I felt my heart sink, waiting for her answer.

"He already does..."

**A/N: Quick little intro before I begin writing fully. Hope to update fairly often and irregularly as possible! R&R!**


	2. Chapter 1: YUDD

**Heylo, Chapter 1 coming up!**

**March 23, 2014 1:55 a.m. Orlando, Florida**

I looked at the clock on my dresser, nearly 2:00. I disregarded my own body's cries for sleep and continued my preparations. I grabbed countless water bottles and a couple of protein bars, just in case. I knew what I was in for, flying the SR-71 was no easy task, especially considering I would be flying solo, and a typical Blackbird requires a crew of two. Thankfully, I only needed her impressive speed, not her reconnaissance abilities. I snagged my grandfather's copy of the blueprints a couple of weeks back, as I had already planned to take the plane for a flight, but now had an incredible reason to do so.

I did an imaginary run-through of the of the beginning of my takeoff again, recalling minor switches to flip, landing gear, engine starts (which my Grandfather had been ingenious enough as to have the engines start using internal engines rather than external.) and flaps. Probably the most amazing thing my grandpa had fixed in the original design was the fuel tanks: the plane no longer leaked jet fuel on the tarmac before takeoff.

In my original plan, this had been a massive issue, but now, with a liner that could withstand obscene temperatures, I was practically unimpeded. I checked again over what I had, making sure I had everything I needed and wanted and out of habit, I grabbed my M1911, securing it in its holster. I didn't have any extra magazines on me, but it didn't seem like I would need lead where I was going, so I let the thought pass. Doing a final check on my gear, I turned to the door. I hopped down the stairs, as quietly as an bulky awkward 17 year old body would allow me, carefully grabbing my car keys. I opened the front door, avoiding the creaky second step and hopped into my 2003 Mazda. I turned the key, getting a fresh smell of motor oil and a young Florida morning. I backed out and began my four hour drive to Cape Canaveral.

X-X-X

**March 23, 2014 2:19 a.m. Elkin, North Carolina**

"Relax Twilight, this human, Ryan, will not get what he needs to catch me," I smirked at the thought, "I mean, come o-"

"I already told you Dash, he has what he needs, he just has to get a place to get it in the air." Twilight responded cooly.

"What in the name of Celestia could possibly have the speed to catch me, especially at supersonic speeds?" I asked, worried about an answer.

"Ryan called it the Blackbird in his thoughts," Twilight closed her eyes, trying to remember, "I did a little research..."

"And?"

"It's formally called the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a reconnaissance aircraft." Twilight said, reading off the webpage on her computer.

"So what's some hunk of metal have any business outspeeding me?" I shot back, puffing out my chest.

"You should read its specifications..." My heart sank a bit.

"What are they?" My voice growing quieter the more serious Twilight sounded.

"Capable of Mach 3.1 cruising speeds, 3.4 top speed, stealth and a surface temperature at those speeds exceeding 200 degrees Celsius..."

"Those are some pretty impressive statistics, what are mine?" I felt my confidence returning.

"Uh, Rainbow Dash, the highest speed I have you clearing during your last sustained Sonic Rainboom, which was eight hours ago, was at Mach 3.1." My heart sank again

"What? That's it?!"

"My instruments are very accurate," Twilight told me, as she usually did, "Even if they were being deep fried during that last flight, 300 miles per hour is far too much error to be still receiving data..."

It was a lot to swallow for me, something that I could not outrun, outspeed and simply escape.

"We still have orders Twilight," I reminded her.

"I understand Rainbow Dash," she brushed my assertive tone off, "I'm just worried that you will get caught..."

The silence in the room barring her stolen computer, the heater and a gentle wind was deafening. We had gotten very close since we started this off-the-books mission in this different world. A new threat was rising, and I would have to rise to the challenge, no matter how difficult.

"I am too."

**A/N:Quick question! Would it make a difference if I continued to update in these less than 1000 word chapters? Or would greater than 1000 chapters be better? Interested to see your words of wisdom! And as always, R&R**


	3. Chapter 2: IDE

**As Picklemonman was the only one to respond, I will be writing in 1000 word+ chapters. Length may vary, see bottom side for details.**

**March 23, 2014 6:07 a.m. Cape Canaveral, Florida**

It was all quiet on the tarmac as I pulled up to my grandfather's private hangar. I wouldn't be using the Space Shuttle Launchpad, but rather the road that was used to drive the shuttle to the Launchpad. I came to the door, recalling the 4 digit passcode.

"4-5-1-9" I said out loud. The light turned green and I pushed through. I found the fuse box, flipped the switch and sure enough, the lights began to flicker. Slowly, the overhead lamps turned on, lighting up the jet black form of the SR-71. Even after drooling over it for so long in pictures and documentaries, I still could gawk at its amazing curves, piercing looks and titanium skin. I simply couldn't hold off any longer and I ran over to it, but I stopped myself, remembering how fragile and easily tainted the plates were. I scanned the outer edges of the hangar, eventually finding the moveable stair case. I hustled over to it and looked down at my watch.

"Twenty minutes until the next patrol comes around, mark..." I reminded myself, setting the timer. I began pushing the staircase towards the SR-71, lining it up with the cockpit and eventually locking it into place. Opening the cockpit, I made sure it was the same design that I had simulated a couple of times, and sure enough, it was. Giddy with my good luck, I hopped down from the staircase and strode over to my granddad's office. Opening the door, I immediately spotted the flight suit he had been given upon his introduction to the program. I grabbed it from its hangar and quickly stripped down and put it on. I looked down at my watch, gasping at the time I had left.

"Shit..." I cursed myself silently for not moving faster. It was 6:25, I only had about 5 minutes. I hurried over to the hangar door and turned on the opener. The door began to rise and the early Florida sky lit up the hangar and the Blackbird's dark form. I hopped up the staircase and into the cockpit, kicking away the rolling appliance in the process. Immediately after strapping myself in, closing the cockpit and connecting all my life support tubes, I noticed a new lever to the left of my legs, labeled VOTL.

"That's impossible..." Vertical Takeoff and Landing? On an SR-71? It didn't seem possible, so I left it untouched. Ignoring the incredible new feature, I flipped the startup switch, I heard the engines roar to life and my adrenaline started pumping. It was always exhilarating to hear something so powerful roar to life. I released the parking brake and eased the thrust up just a hair and I began creeping forward.

I began taxiing to my destination, the shuttle mover straightaway. I could hear someone shouting at me vaguely, but I ignored it and after settling on the straightaway, I jerked the thrust to 45%. At first, she did nothing as the engines built up their thrust and eventually, the entire frame lurched forward and began accelerating. Normal takeoff speed for planes was anywhere from 80 knots to 140 knots, but due to the short wingspan of the SR-71 for supersonic flight, takeoff speed was 170 knots. She hit that speed quickly and I began to increase my angle of attack, and for the first time in years, the fastest plane on Earth had taken to the skies once again. I quickly ascended to 20,000 feet and leveled out.

"Let's see what this thing can do..." I smiled, pushing the thrust all the way forward. The g-forces on my body were incredible, especially when I broke the sound barrier. Some planes struggle to reach .5 Mach, but the Blackbird shrugged it off with ease and continued to accelerate into the Mach 2 range. As I approached Mach 2, I could feel the heat of friction on the plane, I could no longer touch my canopy and had to resist the urge to do so.

After about 10 minutes, I broke the sound barrier for a third time and passed into an area no other fixed-wing aircraft had achieved, Mach 3. Upon this happening, I noticed a small, but clearly heated and visible object flying slightly faster than I was. I smiled, happy that I had found it so easily, the radar signature that I was getting meant that it could not be a UAV, so it had to be an animal of some sort. Either way, I had a goal and was more than eager to reach it. I accelerated a bit further, allowing myself to slowly close distance on my target.

"Here I come, little Mrs. Sonicboom..." I quietly spoke to myself, watching the plane's speedometer reach Mach 3.20.

X-X-X

**March 23, 2014 6:47 a.m. Somewhere over the Southeastern United States**

"Damn Twilight!" I shouted into my headset, wind rushing past my face.

"What Rainbow Dash..." I heard her nerdy voice respond.

"It's hot up here!" I joked, laughing at her confusion.

"You've never ran morning missions," she reminded me, "the water droplets, while they do cool you down initially, heat up your protective suit."

"Yada, yada yada," I blabbed, ignoring her, "What should I be getting pictures of now?" I heard her audibly sigh.

"There's a city called Dallas about 2 minutes from your location," she informed me, "Just get some simple sky..." she trailed off.

"Twilight?" I asked into my headset, "Twilight, are you there?" I suddenly grew frantic, "Twilight answer me!"

"Remember that plane I told you about..." her voice shaking as she spoke.

"Yeah..." I swallowed a lump in my throat.

"It's heading your way..." she said dumbfounded, "ACCELERATE DASH, NOW!" I needed no invitation, I launched myself into the Mach 3 speeds, frantically attempting to out speed the inescapable.

"Twilight! Help!" I roared into my headset.

"Hold on," she responded, frantically typing, "Sending your backside camera view now." My glasses that protected my eyes also functioned as a HUD, and Twilight could send me information in-flight. Sure enough, the camera feed appeared in the left corner of my visor and sure enough, that black viper of the skies was there, gaining on me quickly.

"It's still catching me!" I cried out, performing an 180 degree bank turn to start a return path.

"Hold on," she calmly spoke, "Hold on!" The black form still loomed larger in my hind sights. It was no use, I could not escape it, but still I tried.

Sure enough, its shadow was looming above me in just a few short minutes. I looked up to see its nose, looming ominously. Suddenly and without warning, I was smacked by its massive form, nearly knocking me out. I could feel burn marks from where I had hit it.

"Rainbow Dash?" I heard Twilight call to me through my headset, her voice starting to fade, "Are you ok?" I was about to respond before the pressure changes from free-falling from 35,000 feet took its toll and I blacked out.

**Oooooo, gripping! And a cliff-hangar(pun). So, Chapters to come will be about anywhere from 1200 words to 1500 words, to keep things interesting. R&R!**


	4. Chapter 3: ZOMG

**So? You like it so far? I hope so! Anyway, continue to R&R. FYI, some of those reviews are VERY flattering, thank you! I will be naming the chapters from now on, feel free to help me with the past two chapters! **

**March 23, 2014 7:45 a.m. Unknown Location, Searching for Targets. . . .**

**Targets Located. . . . **

**Ryan Furan and "Rainbow Dash". . .**

**T****allahassee, Florida. . . . Sending Response Team. . .**

**. . .**

**Team 76 Dispatched. . .**

X-X-X

**March 23, 2014 8:28 a.m. The Everglades, Florida**

I flipped the switch on the vertical flight mode as I neared the animal's landing spot, which had created quite the crater. Thankfully, it was in the forest so there would be no witnesses. I locked the SR-71 in to hold a steady location. I flipped open the cockpit, which was still steaming hot from the dew in the air and flipped out the fire escape I had packed along. It was still 30 feet to the ground, so I lowered the ladder, hoping for it to reach and sure enough, it did.

I cautiously approached the form of my prize. It looked like, a horse! More appropriately, a pony, due to its size. It obviously wasn't any ordinary horse, but I was still mesmerized by its beautiful mane, gleaming the colors of the rainbow. Burn marks covered its suit, which was for the most part charred and allowed me to see the blue underneath. The creature's nimble form and smaller stature confirmed that it was a female, but other than that, I couldn't tell anything about this creature, until I decided to move a tree that covered her wing.

I gasped at the sight.

'A pegasus!' I chimed in my head, grinning at my fortune. Rolling the horse onto her back, I hoisted her onto my shoulders, like the way a Shepard carries a sheep. Now, I wasn't the strongest of guys, but with my adrenaline from flying the Blackbird and even finding a mythical creature was more than enough to drag an extra 140 pounds on my back up a thirty foot ladder. As I got up to the cockpit, engines still roaring to keep the plane aloft, I decided to put her in the reconnaissance seat, as I don't think she would fit well in the pilot seat with me. I kinda tucked her into a ball and lowered the seat back as far as I could, carefully placing the headset around her ears. I don't know why I cared so much for this thing, maybe in felt sorry that I had just knocked her out of the sky.

After closing the second cockpit I hopped into my own, but not before taking a bullet in the calf. Immediately, pain shot through my leg and I hobbled/fell into the seat. I buckled up, my hands bloody and shaking from the gunfire around me. My confused mind managed to locate the throttle and I shoved it forward. The SR-71 shot forward, leaving my assailants behind. Blood continued to flow as we ascended.

I began to feel the heat from the canopy as wind resistance tore at the frame and a horrifying idea came to my mind, but it was my only option.I mashed the autopilot button, which basically disabled all the other switches and levers in the cockpit. I managed to unbuckle myself and twist myself around so that my leg was where my head was. I closed my eyes, blinded with still flowing blood, of which I did not have much left, and pressed it against the canopy. Brilliant white hot pain immediately rushed up my leg and drove me from consciousness, only to hear my precious cargo's first words.

"Hello? What's... Going... o..."

X-X-X

**March 23, 2014 8:40a.m. The Everglades, Florida: Team 76 Communications**

"Was the kill confirmed?"

"Negative Big Bird... he took off with the egg..."

"Report back to base for debriefing..."

"One last thing..."

"What is it Team Leader 76..."

"We tagged him before he got away..."

"And?"

"We got blood..."

X-X-X

**March 23, 2014 9:16 a.m. SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Operator cockpit, Unknown Location**

I woke with a start, the sound of huge combustion engines roaring behind me and a glaringly hot sunroof above me.

"Hello?" I spoke, realizing that I was talking into an earpiece, due to the slight static in my ears, "What's going on?" No response. I got out of my cramped position and looked at the huge array of switches and knobs around me. I immediately noticed an illuminated Autopilot button. I tried pressing it, no response. I frowned at it and began to pressed and flip random switches, and nothing happened.

"What kind of plane that has an autopilot button and a BILLION other switches that doesn't work?" I echoed to myself. After finally sitting all the way up and getting comfortable, I noticed a cockpit some 15 feet in front of me. Amazed and horrified, I noticed that it was tinted slightly red, almost blotchy, as if it wasn't entirely tinted properly. Suddenly, I began to feel sore and weak. Realizing my adrenaline was wearing off from being smacked out of the air, I laid back into the flight seat, savoring its soft and giving hold. My burns and bruises ached, but the dull roar and vibration of the black plane I was in dragged my eyes closed, without a care in the world of my situation

X-X-X

**March 23, 2014 9:45 a.m. Canterlot, Equestria**

I was in a full blown panic, it had been nearly 90 minutes since I last had radio contact with Rainbow Dash. But even an hour and a half is screaming fast for a train from Ponyville to Canterlot. In my panic, half way through the train ride, I had forgotten I could have Spike send messages to and from the Princess, but it was too late to stop now. I had managed to blast through most of the guards, figuratively of course, as I was carrying heaps of papers and knapsacks, so they pretty much stood aside and let me go. Finally, I reached the main hall and burst through the doors.

"Princess Celestia!" I shouted, frantically running and trying not to trip over my own hooves, "Rainbow Dash has been kidnap..."

"Woah!" she sounded back, "Relax Twilight, don't make sweeping statements... take a deep breath and tell me carefully. I don't like dealing with human authorities." I took a few deep breaths, putting down a couple of my packs up against a pillar and relaxed.

"Ok," I started, "I had instructed Rainbow Dash to run some routine flights across the Southeastern United States, get a couple satellite quality images." I paused, thinking about my words, "When an aircraft, which I had identified about a day earlier, began to pursue her before quickly overtaking and subduing her."

"What type of Aircraft was it?" Celestia asked, "F-15? 22? C-130?" I shook my head.

"No, something far more advanced..."

"What color was it?" she questioned.

"Black..." I waited for her response as she thought about it.

"Oh... the SR-71," she finally came up with, "I thought that metal monster had been decommissioned for 10+ years..."

"It was, it still is," I responded, fear creeping back into my voice, "That's why I'm worried, we have NOTHING that can catch that thing, let alone outspeed it."

"Well, Rainbow Dash is the only Pegasus I would have thought been able to escape it, and we see how that turned out, "she replied solemnly, weighing her options, "Do we know where it took off?"

"No," I replied curtly, "last time I checked, the plane and its pilot were en route to Rainbow Dash's location, but he fled in a hurry..." I tried to remember his emotions as I had felt them, "He seemed, hurt... Shot!"

"That's enough Twilight, don't want you passing out now..." Celestia warned me. I shot back to reality, "I don't know why he was getting shot at, but obviously the humans want Rainbow Dash for something," she paused, pondering her words, "Get Rainbow Dash back at all costs, I don't know what they want, but it can't be good."

"Yes your majesty..." I bowed, turning away, gulping down the lump in my throat. _At All Costs... _That can't be good...

**Three frigging months, sorry about the ancient update, but I had a bunch of stuff to do over the summer. Remember, feedback is welcome and thanks for reading! Expect an update within 2 weeks, if not then, a month.**


	5. Chapter 4: FFS

**YO! Hey all! I told you I would update fairly soon!(Or not, depending on when I decide to upload this chapter.) Anyway, thanks for your continued support! Spread this story to your friends if you like it! Also make sure to favorite, like and follow if you REALLY like it! R&R!**

I woke, a pain in my calf blinding my other senses. I looked up to the source of blinding light, two people, a man and a woman stood over me. One of them had what appeared to be a handgun.

"Get up scumbag!" the man roared. I obliged, or at least my mind did. My legs had other plans and were still too dazed to be functional. I turned my head to the side, noticing that rainbow mane and interestingly violet eyes. This was the first time I had ever seen her awake up close.

"Alright, if he isn't getting up, get her up..." a more feminine voice barked. The man, who was black, followed her order, heaving the pegasus up and onto her hooves. At first, she resisted and cursed the man a couple times but as she didn't seem to be all there either, she gave in.

"Do you know who this is?" the man asked me, waving his gun menacingly at the pony, particularly her head, "Do you?" My tired body found it a huge effort to croak out a response.

"No..." It came out slowly and drawn out. The man smiled, signaling someone who I could not see to do something. The light was pointed upwards, revealing my captors and the pegasus. She was far more eye-catching than I expected, beautiful even. Her coat gleamed in the white light, a rainbow lightning bolt with a storm cloud tattoo design was etched into her flank, quite suitably describing her prowess.

"This **thing's **name is Rainbow Dash..." Exactly what I expected her name to be, something speedy, "Too bad that's all you're ever gonna know about her." Just then, he put the gun to her head and executed her at point-blank range. Blood splattered across my face and clothes and her body fell to the ground with a dull thud. My mind simply could not comprehend what just happened and I don't think I ever would. My adrenaline kicked in and suddenly my legs were scooting me back as the man walked towards me, a grin on his face.

"Hope you didn't have anything to do with her..." he grinned. I just stared at Rainbow Dash's lifeless body, flabbergasted at what had just happened, "Because you'll be joining her in a minute." My body went into survival mode and found my M1911 in my sock and I launched up to my feet, raising it to my assailant's head.

"Drop the gun!" I screamed, "Now!" He just laughed, I tightened my grip, holding back the urge to fire.

"I'll take my chances..." he joked, raising the gun to my head height. I pulled my trigger, watching the bullet fly and decimate his forehead. I heard a click, a round go off and then nothingness...

X-X-X

**March 27, 2014 9:30 a.m. Cape Canaveral, Florida; Hangar X-57**

I woke up screaming and sweating, only to have my mouth covered by a hoof.

'Wait...' my mind checked again, 'A hoof?' I checked the hoof's owner, and sure enough, it was Rainbow Dash with her violet eyes staring back at me. That's when I realized how she was lain and where we were. We were back at my Grandfather's hangar, in the office bedroom. She was lying next to me, almost on top of me.

"What are you doing Rainbow Dash..." I started, shocking her.

"How do you know my name?" she said, apparently alarmed by me knowing her name. I started to speak by held my tounge.

"Long story," I nonchalantly mumbled, "but you seem to be forgetting my original question."

"There were a couple of guards that came by," she explained, "Especially after that plane landed here..."

"What do you mean?" I started to get up, only to have my calf remind me why I was still in bed.

"Did it all by itself..." She continued on, "Kinda spooky quite frankly... I originally was going to come back in here to see if you had gotten up. The guards were doing some sort of daily patrol so I rushed back into here."

"That's it?" I said, "Then why were you in bed next to me?"

"You started shifting around and mumbling," she blew a few strands of her mane out of her face, "Night terrors I guess."

"Ok then..." I assessed the situation. I definitely wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, so it probably was a good time to check out that calf. I threw back the covers, Dash hopping off the bed as I did, not questioning me. I instantly saw the huge burn mark on the meaty side of my leg. It was extremely red and looked angry, but it was also cauterized and closed, so there was no chance of infection.

"Holy crap!" Rainbow shouted, covering her eyes as she did, "What the hell did you do?"

"Mashed it against the canopy of the cockpit..." I grinned at my quick thinking, recalling the ordeal.

"Why in Equestria would you do that?!" She barked at me.

"I got shot..." I replied blankly.

"Well you must have been clipped, because the inflammation wasn't really bad and it's gotten a lot better." That last part caught my attention.

"What do you mean wasn't?" I asked curiously, alarm ringing in the back of my mind.

"Oh silly me," she laughed, what seemed to be at her own mistake, "You've been out for four days!"

X-X-X

_At all costs..._ Celestia's voice bounding off the massive hall walls still echoed in my head. I looked down at the map of Florida that I had with me. I was still a good 40 miles from Cape Canaveral. I grumbled, wondering what on Earth Rainbow Dash was doing, still in captivity under this probably unstable and hormone driven crazy ass teenager.

"Why the hell am I not allowed to use anything to get there faster!" I shouted into the swamp around me, receiving nothing but some bird calls and a few trees rustling. I sighed, letting my head droop. I put the map away and carried on.

X-X-X

**March 27, 2014 9:50 a.m. Cape Canaveral, Florida; Hangar X-57**

"Alright," Dash said, struggling to support my weight as I got out of bed, not gracefully either, "Easy, don't want to ruin your muscles..."

"Yada Yada Yada," I brushed off, "Be quiet Ms. Counselor." She didn't say anything, but I swore I caught a grin. After a short but brutalizing fifty foot walk to the couch outside in the kitchen. I collapsed, breathing heavily and out of breath.

"Well then, what now?" she asked me, looking slightly worried. My eyes began to close, but not before I heard a distant but clear _Thump._

"Did you hear that?" I ignored her question, more worried about the odd sound.

"Uh, no..." I was carefully listening for anything else but found none, until I heard something I never wanted to hear.

'Bombs dropping...' My breath slowed as reality set in, but my body still had more adrenaline to produce.

"Get down Rainbow Dash!" I shouted, jumping to cover her. My legs barked at my sudden movement, but I ignored them. Just then, what probably was a mortar shell smashed through the ceiling, exploding not thirty feet from us. My entire body was racked with the sudden tension of the massive sound and falling debris.

"Are you alright?" she called to me, over the sound of sheet metal and fire.

"I'm fine!" I grumbled, grunting as I got up, finding that my calf no longer bothered me, "We have to get to the plane!"

"On it!" she responded, wrapping her forelegs around my waist and leaping off the ground. It took me a few seconds to realize that she was flying, rather quickly and without worry of the chaos and approaching assailants around us. I flipped open my canopy as she dropped us down, hopping in and immediately strapping up.

"Go get in the recon pit!" I told her as she tried to get in with me. She only nodded and went out of my view. I didn't check to see if she had gotten in yet, but fired up the engines anyway, listening to their rhythmic roar. Steering onto the straightaway, I once again heard gunfire from behind me. Thankfully, those guys missed like storm troopers and I eased the throttle to 100% and the mighty SR-71 lifted off once more, quickly accelerating. I fitted my headset as best as I could and laid back into my seat.

"You alright there Smashie?" I joked.

"I'm alright, and you?" she replied. I smiled with relief, but also in nervous terror. Whoever was after Rainbow Dash wanted her bad, and had proven would go to extreme measures to get her.

X-X-X

"Oh, for fuck's sake..." I cursed, watching the Blackbird take off again, some gunfire sounding off in the distance, "Where are you going now Dash..."

'_At all costs...'_ I smirked, _'This Ryan kid is doing a pretty damn good job.' _Immediately, I realized how tired I was, tracking these two for three days with no sleep.

"Maybe if I just laid down for a bit," I lied to myself, but I had already found a spot and my eyes closed automatically.

**Woah, a week between updates? A NEW RECORD! Anyway, hope you liked the chapter and don't forget to express your feelings in a trashy review. Kidding! Show your support and tell your fwends about this story! Thanks!**


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